Although computer-aided design is widely used in
the architecture-engineering-construction (AEC)
industry, the exchange of information is still largely a manual process, where 2D paper drawings are
reviewed to identify conflicts. Obviously, this process is time consuming and inefficient —not only do many conflicts go undetected but it’s nearly impossible to quickly determine how design changes will affect the project’s cost and schedule. Thus, an average project will lose 8 to 15 percent of labor costs due to mistakes that cause change orders, delays, and rework.